Insurance Committee Chief Wisely Taking Aim At Uninsured Motorists

Art Simon of Miami, Florida`s new House Insurance Committee chairman, is aiming at a deserving target for a governmental crackdown: the state`s millions of uninsured motorists.

He wisely wants to toughen penalties for those who ignore the law and drive without insurance, as well as expand the kinds of insurance required.

The Department of Insurance estimates that one-third of all drivers statewide, and in Broward and Palm Beach counties, are uninsured, in violation of state law. In Dade County, the number is nearly two-thirds.

Irresponsible drivers who refuse to abide by laws requiring them to carry personal injury insurance force up premiums paid by drivers who do buy insurance and force them to buy expensive ``uninsured motorist`` coverage.

South Florida premiums have become exorbitant in recent years, in part due to the large number of uninsured drivers. The cost of basic coverage averages $700 a year in Broward County, $583 a year in Palm Beach County.

Various reforms have been suggested that deserve careful legislative attention:

-- Require all motorists, in order to get an auto tag, to have property damage insurance that covers the cost of repairing or replacing someone else`s car or other property after an accident if they are at fault.

-- Ban ``stacking`` of uninsured motorist coverage, a little-known provision in the law requiring drivers to buy two or three times the amount of coverage they need.

-- Beef up enforcement of the state`s PIP (Personal Injury Protection) law, which requires drivers to buy insurance to pay for injuries caused to themselves or others.

-- Ban insurance companies from raising premiums or not renewing policies of drivers for accidents that are not their fault.

-- Increase fees for drivers whose license is suspended for driving without insurance. Insurance Commissioner Bill Gunter suggests boosting it from $15 now to $150, and using the revenue to pay for stricter enforcement of the law. He claims the above reforms could cut uninsured motorist coverage in half.

Other reforms also deserve attention.

-- Winnow out uninsured motorists by improving coordination and communication between insurance companies and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

-- Require drivers who cancel an insurance policy to get another one promptly or forfeit their auto tag. states have adopted this rule to combat unscrupulous drivers like those in Florida who sign up for PIP insurance coverage just before their auto tag is renewed, then cancel the policy immediately after they recieve the tag and go uninsured for nearly a year.

-- Remove obstacles in the law that hinder tracking down violators. The law now says that the state Driver`s License Bureau cannot process an accident report unless a wrecker is called to the scene. This keeps the bureau from investigating many minor accidents, reducing its chances of catching those without insurance.

Simon, a Democratic attorney, is a good choice for this important post. A bright, capable member of the House leadership team, he was moved up from committee vice-chairman to fill the vacancy created when House dean Carl Ogden of Jacksonville, who resigned last month and switched from Democrat to Republican to take a job in Gov. Bob Martinez` administration.

The problem of uninsured motorists is particularly acute in South Florida, so having a resident of this region, which has the state`s highest insurance rates, as insurance chairman should insure the matter gets the attention it deserves.